Goals, not resolutions for the Coming Year

These are knitting goals for the coming year. May be a really simple list, but it gives me something to shoot for and keep track of throughout the year.

1. Knit a Christmas gift a month. Even if I do not know who the gift is for at the time I knit it.
2. Knit an item to be donated to the clothing ministry at church every month.
3. Knit Kristin a modified CPH (she does not care for the cables on the back. We may or may not come to a meeting of the minds on this.)
4. Knit two dish/face clothes per month. (This can be combined with item one, if more than 2 are knit and they are in all in a color family.)
5. Make notable progress on Jessica's lizard ridge.
6. finish Kristin's Log Cabin/start a blanket for Joe.

Around the first of each month, I will post my progress on each of these goals.

Boxing Day

I am not quite sure where the time has gone since my last post. Probably to knitting, and kids Christmas programs, and Church activities, and spending time with friends.

That being said, I did knit several (seven) Christmas gifts this year. This is actually the first year I have felt I my finished product was good enough to give to another person. Not exactly true, I got back to knitting and crocheting by helping DD #1 a few years ago, but that was just a garter stitch scarf.

I am a fortunate person, I knit for 5 fairly spoiled kids/teens, not related to me, four hats, one scarf. Not only where the knitted items not scoffed at, they were all donned and exclaimed over by the giftees. Several of the parental units know that I knit, but were astounded at the finished items. In fact, one of those parental units told me (back when I only considered my scarves worth giving) not to bother knitting for her or her parents, handknits would not be worn. Her 8 year old daughter, who will not normally wear anything on her head, would not take off the hat.

I will post the pictures I have of some of the items (not all were photographed) to go with the post. Actually, one of my other pleased as punch reactions, is, none of those hats came from a pattern, I just made them up as I went along.

Paying it Forward

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

I have seen this on a couple of blogs, and now I have signed up. I would love to make gifts for the first three people who sign up. My handmade gifts will probably be knitting oriented.

No, you don't know me, but yes, three people should respond! OK, it could take quite awhile for me to get three comments, but I really would like to do this.

Unoriginal Hat

So, the weather is getting cooler around here (it is supposed to be in the 30's when they are leaving for school.) Friday night I cast on for the Unoriginal Hat by the Yarn Harlot. I used two strands of Patons SWS held together on size 10 dpns (I like dpns.) Good thing she has a small head and straight hair, otherwise it would be pretty small on her. For Kris it works. I have the yarn to make a second hat for oldest child, and she is not shying away from this hat. (Normally, she says she will not wear hand knits.) While the kids were all at Volleyball practice, I ran to my closest lys, to grab some size 11 dpns. She was out of stock. However, she is going to her supply house in the morning, and will pick some up for me and give me a call. That is great customer service, as far as I am concerned. The entertaining part is, as I was wandering and looking to see everything (hello...two hours, no kids...) another lady came in, looking for dpns, size 11 and size 13. She was added to the list of needles to pick up and people to call. The store owner is an older lady (she is in her 80's) and such a lovely person. I enjoy visiting with her whenever I go in there. I don't necessarily regard that lys as my 'favorite.' But it is a very close second. I really enjoy seeing the owner, and visiting with her.

My favorite lys is much further from my house, but it has a much better selection. The customer service is every bit the equal of this lady, and the charm of the store is much greater. However, I know I am really lucky to have three actual yarn stores in less than five miles from my house. Two are wonderful, the third I only go to in dire straights.

KIP Story

It has been a LONG time since I have blogged anything, but I have a story to share.

Sunday, I was knitting on my Log Cabin blanket while my kids were at Volleyball tryouts. I had just finished with the mauve and was figuring out the next few colors to use. So, the blanket was spread out on the gym floor, and I was switching around my potential colors. The kids were having a water break and a young man, I know he was between the ages of 14 and 17, I would guess he is in the older part of the range, grabbed his cell phone and ran up to the spread out blanket, snapped a quick picture. He looked at me, bright smile, and stated "I have to show this to my Mom." My kids 'accept' that I love to knit and are no longer phased by my knitting in public. My oldest has come to accept her friends think it is neat to watch the progression of various projects, and even her friends asking me about my knitting. But, for a guy total stranger to run up and take a picture of my knitting, they were shocked and surprised.

I can see a handknit hat in the young man's near future.

Mom's Birthday

Mom's birthday was yesterday. I got the wristwarmers done, but they are still sitting at my house. Of course, Mom has gone to her Mom's house, and won't be back until next week, so they can be waiting in her P O Box when she gets home, along with Tucker's bibs.

I am so lucky to have the Mom I have, and to still have her. She was almost killed in a car accident 10 years ago. The accident was 15 days before my son was born, so I remember it very well. It was a bit entertaining to be standing the waiting room of a level 5 trauma center and have a Doctor look at me, and offer to transport me to a different hospital. They don't deliver babies. He was actually relieved when I told him I wasn't there for me, I was there for my Mom and she was in X-Ray. He was pretty glad to get me out of the waiting room, and back in her curtain area. They didn't care to have a pregnant lady in the waiting area.

My Mom is truly an amazing lady. She has survived and endured so much, and yet retains her faith in God and in people. I am forever grateful she is my Mom. As I have told her, she may not have been the perfect Mom, but she is the perfect Mom for me. My Mom was infamous for getting to the gym, just as I was walking off the court when I played Volleyball and Basketball in HS. I am not sure she ever actually saw me play, but she was always there.

So, in the last week, for knitting, I knit Mom's wristwarmers, finished a burp cloth for the great granddaughter of some people I go to church with, worked on my daughter's lizard ridge blanket, worked on Banff for me, and the second sock of the first pair of socks I have knit with actual sock yarn.

I also got the Interweave sock book. I am eager to get to the toe of the sock, because the directions in the Interweave book for grafting the toe, look clearer than any other directions I have seen. It is the drawings that go along with the instructions that make it so clear. Unfortunately, I am just on the ribbing at the top, so it will be awhile before I get there. There are some really neat patterns in there, so I will constantly have socks going for awhile. I need to get another small project going (dishcloth type) that I can just keep in the van. I do lots of waiting for my kids in the van, so it is helpful to have something in there at all times.

And, thanks for the comments and welcome to blogland.

My Baby Has a Birthday

Ten years ago today my youngest baby was born. He was such a sweet little thing. He is still a sweet thing, but no longer so little. He is a charming and funny little boy. I couldn't be more pleased with who he is, kind, caring and empathetic.

Tonight I finished up the Log Cabin bib I was knitting for my nephew. Tomorrow I should have some pictures to post. Directly after that I cast on some Irish Hiking wrist warmers for my Mom's birthday next week. Lately, everything I have been knitting has been either knitting or ribbing. I figure the cables will be a nice change of pace, for a quick knit.

The beginning

This is new, so we will see how it goes. I plan on blogging about knitting, and my kids, and sewing, and probably a lot of other things as well. I am just a bit tired of being one of the many blogless.

I have pictures to post, and want a place that is mine. So, now I have it.